IRVING, Texas – Ouachita Baptist University graduate student Riley Harms has been selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.

On Wednesday, the National Football Foundation announced a record number of 201 semifinalists for the award, which encompasses all levels of college football. The group boasts a 3.62 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor's degrees.

Harms is one of 15 semifinalists from the NCAA Division II ranks. The Fremont, Nebraska native is his second year as Ouachita's starting quarterback, as well as his second year as a team captain.

"Riley is the most prepared guy on our team," said Ouachita Head Coach Todd Knight. "He truly is a student of the game, and what's so cool is that he enjoys it, and enjoys it in a way that motivates others on our team to want to learn and get better. He is great leader and pace-setter, and coming from our quarterback, that makes a huge difference in how successful we are as a team. He really embodies what we look for in a student-athlete with his abilities athletically, academically, spiritually, and from a community perspective as well."

After transferring to Ouachita in the spring of 2021 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Harms maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in May of 2023. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in exercise science at Ouachita.

Other academic accomplishments for Harms throughout his collegiate career include being a two-time member of the GAC All-Academic Team, a four-time selection to the Ouachita President's List, and a 2022 selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

On the field, Harms currently sports an 15-1 record as Ouachita's starting quarterback with the only loss coming in the NCAA D2 playoffs. He helped lead the Tigers to the 2022 Great American Conference championship with an undefeated regular season record of 11-0.

Individually in 2022, Harms led all of NCAA D2 in yards per pass attempt (9.99), ranked third in the nation in pass efficiency (171.0), and ranked eighth in the nation in pass yards per completion (15.61). His final numbers in 2022 made Ouachita's top 10 list in three different record categories, including passing yards (1,998), touchdown passes (17), and total offense yards (2,291).

Ouachita sported a run-first offense in 2022, finishing fourth in the nation, but in 2023, the Tigers have been more balanced, allowing Harms to have even more of an impact. The second-year team captain hasn't disappointed with three games with at least 200 passing yards, and two games with four passing touchdowns. Against Northwestern Oklahoma State in the home opener, Harms was a perfect 10-for-10 through the air for 188 yards and three touchdowns, all coming in the first half of what ended up being a 66-0 victory.

Through the first four games of the 2023 season, Harms is leading all of NCAA D2 in pass efficiency (207.5). He is third in the nation in yards per pass attempt (10.87), eighth in passing touchdowns (13), and eighth in yards per completion (16.4).

In addition to his athletic and academic accomplishments, Harms is also an active leader on campus and in the community of Arkadelphia. He has been a part of Tiger Serve Day, which is Ouachita's community-wide outreach and service initiative. He's also served on the Ouachita Judicial Council and is an active member of the Ouachita Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In the 2022-23 year, he earned the most outstanding student of the year award from the Ouachita Kinesiology Club.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on October 25, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.